With season on line, Flyers look to attack

Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux (28) passes through New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh's legs during the first period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 27, 2014, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

VOORHEES, N.J. — The prospect of playoff elimination has opened the Flyers’ eyes to something that should have been obvious earlier in this teetering series with the New York Rangers: Their lack of attack.

Even if a mobile and hard-hitting Rangers defense has had a major impact in the Flyers’ offensive zone woes, that shouldn’t change the way they approach their daily mission. Yet not only has their attack on the ice been lacking, their aggressive attitude has been blunted in this series, too.

Finally, the Flyers have seemed to recognize this and are vowing to change things Tuesday night, when they take on the Rangers in Game 6 at Wells Fargo Center.

“I think we have to be more aggressive,” defenseman Kimmo Timonen said. “We have to get more shots and when we are more aggressive, I think we create some turnovers, we score more, we get more shots at the net. ... Our game is skating and forechecking hard and being aggressive. Tomorrow we have to play our game. It doesn’t matter what they do.

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“Sometimes we worry way too much about what they do and how many shots they block; who cares? Just go out there and do your job and we’re going to be fine.”

Um, they are not fine.

The Rangers have won most battles in both zones. Their defense has frequently frustrated the Flyers’ forwards by keeping them spread apart and off balance. Turnovers have hurt the Flyers. Their starts have been terrible. Their power play, while faring better than the Rangers’, hasn’t been good enough because that’s where the Flyers get most of their offensive energy.

By looking like they were in La-La Land on two first-period powerless plays Sunday in Game 5, the Flyers set the tone for another losing day. And so the Rangers have a 3-2 series lead. But that doesn’t keep the Flyers from professing confidence that all can be better now.

“From the start of the game we really need to skate and attack and be an aggressive team,” coach Craig Berube said. “If we executed yesterday in the first period and we have a better mindset, who knows what happens in that game?

“The five guys on the ice, they need more of a killer instinct right now. (The Rangers) are a fast team. They take time and space away from you quickly. We need more guys in the battle quicker and we need to play a quicker game out there; a more aggressive game.”

Which begs a question: If this is a playoff series against one of their oldest and closest rivals, why have the Flyers so lacked a physical, intense presence?

Perhaps the Rangers’ intentional lack of a physical response has been successful ... or maybe their cool competence on defense has worked wonders on the Flyers’ collective psyche?

“I don’t know,” Berube said. “The Rangers are a quick team, they get on you quick and they do things quick. That probably has something to do with it. ... Maybe it’s (being) a little too cautious. Maybe you’re thinking a little bit; you don’t want to make a mistake. Speed can do that to you sometimes, but we have to counteract that.”

It seems the Rangers’ biggest victory away from the scoreboard has been the way they’ve lulled the Flyers to sleep. Or turned them into directionless pacifists.

“I don’t think we’ve toned it down, but there’s been situations where we haven’t been throwing hits the way we can; we just went in and stick-checked,” Wayne Simmonds said. “They’ve got a great defensive corps over there. They’re just going to spin off you and keep the puck and keep skating.”

Simmonds pointed to a 2-1 Flyers win Friday in Game 4 as an example of how they want to play ... and how they haven’t played often enough.

“We did a really good job of being physical on their defensemen and making them turn pucks over,” Simmonds said. “We have to get back to that. We have to be more aggressive.”

So in trying to avoid meeting their season Waterloo Tuesday night, Berube and his veteran players have reiterated a need for a spicier look. They will seek more of a push from the defense to step up with the offensive rush — you know, if they get one.

Perhaps Berube will tweak a scoring line or two, and certainly everyone will preach a commitment to physical play.

“We have to be harder on people,” Timonen said. “Once you’re aggressive, you’re going to hit people and create some turnovers.”

Do that, carry off a win at home in Game 6, and then this series somehow has gotten to a seventh and final challenge at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.

For now, however, there can be no looking ahead.

“We look at each other and we have full faith in everyone in this dressing room,” Simmonds said. “We’re excited to play this next game. ... We have to go out there to win.”

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NOTES: Although it was largely presumed fleet but inconsistent defender Erik Gustafsson would replace Hal Gill for Game 6, Berube was non-committal about which one would go in for the injured Nick Grossmann. Gill did not fare well in Game 5, but Gustafsson hasn’t played in some time. ... Berube also shrugged away a question of whether a line change he made late Sunday, putting Brayden Schenn on the top line and moving struggling Scott Hartnell down, would carry over to Game 6. ... Claude Giroux, offering more words of urgency from Monday’s practice: “We’re aware we can play a lot better. The one good thing is that we have a game tomorrow to prove it.”